Who You Calling a Wench?

Renaissance festivals were deep into cos­play long before even your dad knew what that term meant. Rub heavily costumed elbows with the region's most devoted wenches and knights at the 21st-annual Florida Renaissance Festival, which continues for six weekends this winter in Deerfield Beach. The festival attracts hundreds of suited-up performers who showcase their talents on 12 stages and throughout the festival grounds. Also on the agenda are knight battles, a royal court, a marketplace, games of chance, and interactive elements like the Dragon's Maze. No renfest would be complete without absurdly huge turkey legs and chalices of beer, and this one's got plenty of both, plus other hearty fare.
The Florida Renaissance Festival begins Saturday and runs through March 17 in Quiet Waters Park, located at 401 S. Powerline Road in Deerfield Beach. The festival is open from 10 a.m. until sunset on Saturdays and Sundays, plus Monday, February 18, in honor of President's Day. Tickets cost $20 for adults and $7 for children, plus a park admission fee of $1.50 per person. Group rates and season passes are available. Call 888-695-0888, or visit ren-fest.com.
Saturdays, Sundays, 10 a.m.; Mon., Feb. 18, 10 a.m. Starts: Feb. 9. Continues through March 17, 2013